The Wilderness Canoe Association was one of 87 organizations included as signatories to an open letter recently sent to three Ontario government ministers --Environment, Natural Resources, and Municipal Affairs and Housing-- on the topic of Restoring Provincial Wetland Protections in Ontario. A pdf of the letter is attached to this post.
The letter documents recent changes to provincial legislation and regulations that have weakened the protection of Ontario's wetlands, which are a critical resource for the preservation of biodiversity and for the mitigation of climate change impacts. Wetland areas are often of great cultural significance to indigenous peoples. In addition, wetlands across the province represent one of the most accessible opportunities for people to experience nature first-hand, both in urban and more remote areas, from the seat of a canoe.
The letter documents many different sources of stress on wetlands and provides a useful overview of ways in which the provincial government must reconcile environmental protection with other policy objectives. The joint letter was orchestrated by Ontario Nature. Many of the numerous signatories to the letter are focused on particular regional conservation activities that may be of interest to individual WCA members, providing local opportunities for engagement on these issues.
Additional information can be found at the Ontario Nature Wetlands web page: